"She would like you." But then By hesitates and admits, "Or maybe she wouldn't. I honestly had quite a lot of trouble following which of her friends had offended her at a given time and for what reasons - and even worse was keeping track of who'd made up with whom. One day Sasha Vorsomething would be a backstabber, and then a week later she'd be talking about Sasha Vorsomething and I'd mention oh yes she's awful and Nadine would stare at me like I'd just grown a second head. Ah, but you girls can be tempestuous, can't you?"

A wry smile, and a sigh, and he shakes his head. "But I suppose that was when she was a child. I assume she's a bit more - ah - diplomatic now. And you do have an impossibly charming way about you, too. Altogether impossible to dislike, I find."